1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a 3-D (three-dimensional) contour capturing method and system and, more particularly, to a method and system that provides improved support in selective areas of the captured contour.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a number of methods and systems for capturing 3-D contours of subject objects. The subject object can be a variety of items, including inanimate objects and body parts. Regarding body parts, a 3-D contour of a foot may be desired in order to provide a customization of shoes and/or orthotics for the foot.
3-D contour measurement methods for the feet may include sampling the undersurface of the foot using mechanical (e.g., impression molds having plaster, sand, foam, etc.), electronic, electro-mechanical, electro-optical, and a combination thereof devices. One such method for capturing a 3-D contour of the underside or plantar surface of a foot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,758 and 5,640,779, both of which are commonly assigned to the assignee of the present patent application and incorporated herein in their entirety. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,758 and 5,640,779 disclose a foot impression unit (e.g., a pin digitizer) having an array of gauge pin elements, a control mechanism for urging the gauge pins into contact with the undersurface of a person's foot to form an impression of the undersurface of the foot, a locking mechanism for releasably locking the gauge pins in place to retain that impression, and a sensing mechanism for scanning the gauging elements to produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements.
The gauge pins of the pin digitizer measure a position of the foot placed thereon relative to a datum surface. The acquired measurements are processed to produce an accurate, preferably digital, model of the undersurface of the foot. The pin digitizer is able to accurately, by way of the gauge pins, deflect the soft tissue of the foot encountered by the gauge pins upwardly urged against the undersurface of the foot. This data set produced by the pin digitizer provides a 3-D contour that is supportive and corresponding to the soft tissue areas on the undersurface of the foot. The pin digitizer provides an accurate contour of a person's foot placed thereon. The accurately captured 3-D contour of the foot may then be used to form and/or customize orthotics, shoes, and the like.
It is noted that the gauge pins are typically urged upwardly uses a common methodology that urges all of gauge pins upwardly with a common force, rate, etc. Thus, it is not typically possible to provide selective differences to various gauge pins.
However, there exists a need to provide more than an accurate reproduction of the plantar surface of a foot. Such needs may arise due to problems associated with a person's foot. Some foot associated and/or body alignment problems may necessitate providing greater support in a certain area of the plantar surface of the foot than other areas thereof. For example, extra support may be required or desired in the arch region of the foot to correct or address ailments associated therewith.
Additional (i.e., extra) support may be desirable for improved support, stability and comfort in a foot orthotic. The difficulty in providing additional support is that heretofore it has been difficult to determine how much extra support the foot can tolerate and what areas of the foot can/should accept the extra support. Thus, determining how much and where to provided extra support to the foot typically requires the expertise of a foot specialist or one highly skilled in the production of foot support devices.
Accordingly, there exists a need to accurately provide additional support in a selective area of the plantar surface of the foot in acquiring a 3-D contour thereof.